Marble cage push toy



Sept. 1950 R. BIGGS 2,521,331

MARBLE CAGE PUSH TOY Filed Oct. 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v INVENTOR.

EARL R. BIGG S ATTORNEY S p 5,1950 E. R. BIGGS 2,521,331

MARBLE CAGE PUSH TOY Filed on. 31, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EARL R. BIGGS ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1950 Marsh 5 PATENT OFFICE 1947, Serial-No. F783,7?2-7-9 Application '(Betober 31 5 .Clai-rns. (01. 46-114.)

present invention comprises .a toy for the amusement of infants and younger children.- it is a psychological principle of toys for rchildrlen of certain ages that the toy should he .of .a character may he propelled, which is :colorfnl; exhibits considerable movement of pants and pro.- duces a rattle or corresponding noises. The principal object of the present invention is :to pro- Vide a toy which exhibits all of the foregoin characteristics.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a toy of the character set forth abone may 'be manufactured .of ru ged its, formed of readily obtainable materials which ate easily fabricated into the shapes nequired, and which may be assembled with a minimum of laborand expense. I

The foregoing objects and advantages, as well as others, will be readily apparent from inspectionand study of the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein several preferned forms of the invention are set forth, while the particular-teatures of novelty will be more idistinctly pointed out in the appended claims. In the specification and drawings, like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In *the drawing, 1

' Fig. l is a "View in perspective .of a preferred embodiment of the invention, the handle :thereof being broken away in order to permit showin the pertinent details on larger scale.

Fig. 2 is a side view, on a larger scale, .of the major portion of the toy comprising -a wheel, with part of the wheel broken away substantially along the line -'2'2 of Fig; 13.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view taken substan tial1yalcngline-3 of Fig.2.

"Fig. 4 is a view in perspective, on :a smaller scale, showing a modified form of handle.

Fig. 5 15 a plan yiewof a rmodified iflorrn lQf-lthe invention; and

twmtogether along the plane snrfianes zby able adhesive, the character of the adhesive depending. upon the material from which the wheels are formed. -i['he material may comprise aplasizlc, fin'wliicli case the adhesive may .come

- prise a solvent so! the plastic. The wheelsmay iillustnate :the reason tor forming Each hali is providedwitha groove .such as groove ;l.$,,=;the

complementary half being normed with a similar groove which complement the groove It to form acontinuous passageway extending through the wheelwhen :the halves are -joine.d, the/pas.- sageway ibeingin the form of a return bend,-in the ends .of which the ends of tubes 12 and 13 may Joe mounted and adhered to the wheel by adhesineor otherwise. 1.

lit will be apparent trom inspection .101? l, 2, andfi that-the tubes'ifland it are .angularly disposed :with respect to .each .other andL-to ..the common aXi-s of wthewheels. The arrangement preferably :such that :the return :passage in wheel H3 will he vertically .disposed when the re. turn passage in wheel Ll is horizontally disposed. Thus, when the tube all is inclined downwardly toward wheel 4 I, tube l't is inclined downwardly toward wheel -l 0.' KZl/Z-hen the wheels nevolve, ,each tube willcontinuously phange its angle of inclination and direction of inclination, being mo.- mentarily, at times, horizontally disposed.

The tubes '12 and 3 are preferably iorneed {of a transparent material-soon asa clear pla ticin order thataphirality 02f snherieai ebie tsifl di nosed the continuous passa eway .iormed hr the tubes. and the return nessa e m y h seen therein. .snherioa obje s ar prefer b y slightly ilesser diameterthan the dism ters .of the tubes andretern hands so at snherieal ohiectsimay r9 1 iherethrcusll.

iicient-rinnumber sot-hat. whemal tact with each oth on y one hf the time finfirlofl the return bend will pevfii-l si ther by Th s. when the 11393 :i. apropellesi alnns a e surface andzthewl eelslneyolvediov ontacr ithar with, the spherical objects .will be continuously passing-from one tube to the throu h the 3 wheels. The spherical objects preferably comprise variously colored marbles or agates, but any other suitable material may be utilized.

In order that the toy may be propelled alon a ground surface, it is preferably provided with a handle which is journaled upon the wheels. As seen more clearly in Fig. 3, the wheels comprise a major periphery 2| adapted to engage the ground surface and an inner annular periphery 22 of lesser diameter separated from the major periphery by an annnlar groove adapted to receive a wire loop 23. The loop 23 thus journaled on each Wheel is provided with an extension 24, the two extensions being shaped to form a bail and twisted together to form a rearwardly projecting handle portion 25 which may be suitably affixed in the end of an elongated wooden handle 26. The rings 23 are preferably loosely fitted into the grooves in the wheels so that a minimum of friction exists between the wheels and the handle.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a modification wherein rings 30 adapted to be journaled upon wheels as set forth in respect to Fig. 1 are provided on the ends of a continuous length of wire, the intermediate portion of the wire being bent to form a bail 3|, twisted together at 32, and extended to form an elongated wire handle 33.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a modification embodying the principles of the invention in which a continuous raceway is provided by mounting a closed, twisted loop of transparent material upon the inner surfaces of the wheels. The raceway member 41 may comprise a continuous length of plastic tubing which may be formed into a closed loop by softening the plastic and adhering the ends together while twisting the loop so that one return bend is disposed at right angles to the other return bend. The raceway member 4| may be mounted upon the wheels by providing the inner surfaces thereof with bosses 42 adapted to embrace a portion of the tube, and clamp members 43 adapted to embrace the adjacent surfaces of the tube, the clamp members 43 being adhered to the inner surfaces of the wheels. A further modification is illustrated in that the wheels in this case may be formed as solid wheels since the return bends are now externally disposed. The wheels may have any suitable shape, those illustrated having central, peripheral grooves adapted to be embraced by loops 44 at the ends of a wire handle 45 which is suitably twisted to form a rigid, elongated handle. In this modification, the tube is partially filled, prior to joining the ends thereof, by a plurality of colored marbles 46 or the like in order that the toy may have all of the characteristics of the first modification.

In Fig. 6, I have illustrated a further'modification wherein each wheel comprises a pair of complementary members 50 and so formed as to provide the complementary halves of a wheel when the two members are joined by adhering the plane surfaces as shown. These wheels are formed as if a solid wheel had been cut in two along a plane normal to the axis of revolution to form outer members 50 and inner members 5|. The inner members are provided with openings 52 and 53 into which extend the ends of transparent tubes 54 and 55. The outer member is provided with a groove 56 of such shape as to complete a return bend for the openings 52 and 53. A passage is thus formed through which a plurality of colored marbles or the like, indicated by the numeral 51, may

A 4 pass from one tube to the other as the wheels rotate. The tubes are so positioned as to be angularly disposed with respect to each other and to the common axis of the wheels so that when one return bend is horizontal the other is vertical as in previous modifications. The outer members 50 may be provided with external central bosses 5% in which holes are provided for the reception of the inwardly directed ends 53 of a wire 60 shaped to form a handle.

In the modifications described in Figs. 1 and 6, the wheels are preferably formed of plastic materials and the complementary halves may be differently colored in order to enhance the attractiveness of the toy. Likewise, one or both of the complementary halves may be translucent or transparent in order that the colored spheres may be seen passing through the wheels. The wheels, however, may be formed of opaque materials so as to create an effect of mystery concerning the ability of marbles of certain colors to disappear from one tube and appear in the other. In all forms of the invention, it is preferred that the tubes be formed of a clear plastic having considerable strength so as to provide an indestructible toy. It is also preferred that the spherical objects be formed of material having considerable density so that, as they strike one another or drop from one section to another, a loud, rattling noise will be produced.

Having illustrated and described several embodiments which my invention may assume, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications in arrangement and detail may be achieved. All such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the following claims are considered to be a part of my invention.

I claim:

1. A toy comprising a pair of coaxially disposed, spaced wheels, an elongated handle journaled on said wheels whereby the wheels may be propelled over a ground surface to be rotated by frictional engagement therewith, a pair of transparent tubes extending between said wheels,

said tubes being disposed angularly to each other and to the common axis of said wheels, a plurality of spherical objects loosely disposed in said tubes, and return passageway means connecting the adjacent ends of said tubes whereby said objects may roll from one tube to the other as said wheels revolve.

2. A toy comprising a pair of coaxially disposed, spaced wheels, an elongated handle journaled on said wheels whereby the wheels may be propelled over a ground surface to be rotated by frictional engagement therewith, a transparent member mounted upon and extending between the inner surfaces of said wheels, said member having a continuous passageway therein in the shape of a twisted loop, and a plurality of marble-like objects loosely retained in series in said passageway, said objects being lesser in number than the number required to fill said passageway whereby irregular movements thereof occur as said wheels revolve.

3. A toy comprising a pair of coaxially disposed, spaced wheels, an elongated handle journaled on said wheels whereby the wheels may be propelled over a ground surface to be rotated by frictional engagement therewith, a plurality of transparent, tubular raceways extending between said wheels, and a plurality of spheres disposed in said raceways, said wheels having return passageways formed therein and connecting the adjacent ends of pairs of said raceways whereby said spheres may pass from one raceway to another as said wheels revolve.

4. A toy comprising a pair of coaxially disposed, spaced wheels, an elongated handle journaled on said Wheels whereby the Wheels may be propelled over a ground surface to be rotated by frictional engagement therewith, a pair of transparent tubes extending between said wheels, said tubes being disposed angularly to each other and to the common axis of said wheels, and a plurality of spherical objects loosely disposed in said tubes, each of said wheels having a return passageway formed therein and connecting the adjacent ends of said tubes whereby said spherical objects may roll through said wheels from one tube to the other as said wheels revolve.

5. A toy comprising a pair of coaxially disposed, spaced wheels, an elongated handle journaled on said wheels whereby the wheels may be propelled over a ground surface to be rotated by frictional engagement therewith, a pair of REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Gainsley July 4, 1944 Number 

